Car-coupling link



(No Model.)

' H. AGKERMAN.

OAR COUPLING LINK.

No. 422,105. Patented Feb. 25, 1890.

- /kmj W/TNESSES.

I 5: I gig A TTOHNE Y8 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY ACKERMAN, OF JERSEY CITY, NENV JERSEY.

CAR-COUPLING LINK.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters latent No. 422,105, dated February25, 1890.

Application filed December 26, 1889- Serial No. 335,085. (No model.)

To (0% whom it may concern Be it known that I, HARRY ACKERMAN, of JerseyCity, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Coupling-Links, of which the following isa full, clear,and exact description.

My invention relates to an improvementin coupling-links, and has for itsobject to provide a link capable of use with any draw-head and whichwill obviate the necessity of the brakeman goingbetween the cars toguide the link or manipulate the pin.

.A further object of the invention is to provide a link of simple anddurable construction, which, when attached to a draw-head, willautomaticallycouple with the pin located in an opposed and approachingdraw-head.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters and figures of referenceindicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a plan View of the link. Fig.2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3is a plan View of the link with one of the plates re1noved,illustratingthe arms as carried out to their farthest position. Fig. 4 is a frontelevation of thelink with the arms thereof closed, as shown in Fig. 1;and Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the heads of the arms, takenon line 0/; 0c of Fig. 1.

In carrying out the invention the body of the link consists of a castingor forging A,

' constructed with ariblike central section 10,

integral with and connecting two blocks 11 and 12. The block 12 at theforward end of the rib is practically rectangular and is made narrowerthan the opposed block 11. It is provided with a flat top and bottomsurface and a concavity-13 at the forward extremity. The block 11 isalso practically rectangular. The outer end 14, however, is rounded offor curved, as best shown in Fig. 3. The top and bottom surfaces of theblock 11 are flat, and in said surfaces an opening 15 is produced ofsufficient diameter to receive an ordinary couplingpin.

The body of the link is held between a top plate 16 and a bottom plate17, the attachment being effected by passing rivets 18 through theplates and the body-blocks 11 and 12. In the forward edge of each plate16 and 17 a slot 19 is produced, the back wall of which slots is made toregister with and conform to the cavity in the forward bodyblock 12. Theleft-hand side of one plate is Z), and the right-hand side of the otherplate is similarly beveled, as shown at b in Fig. 1. The beveled side ofeach plate is of the same length; but the said beveled sides are shorterthan the opposed sides. These longer sides are provided with a convexend surface 12 and a shoulder b in the same horizontal plane with theextremity of the beveled side, as best shown in Fig. Between the plates16 and 17, at each side of the rib-section of the body, a latch-arm 20and 21 is respectively pivoted, the pivotal points of said arms beingnear their inner ends. The inner end of each arm is of less width thanthe body thereof, and at the pivotal point of each arm the width thereofis greater than at any other point except the head, and this increasedwidth produces shoulders d and d. The obj eet of increasing the width isto permit the arms when in their closed position to closely hug, neartheir pivotal point, the rib-section 10 of the body.

The arms 20 and 21 are provided with inwardly extending or approachinghook-like heads 23, the said heads being adapted to interlock whenclosed, as shown in Fig. 5. Upon opposite sides of the arms 20 and 21 arecess 24 is produced in the heads, which materially lessens the inneror hook like portion of the head in thickness, whereby, when both armsare carried into the locked position illustrated in Fig. 1, the hookportion of one head will interlock with or fit or slide beneath the hookportion of the opposite head, and upon opposite sides of the body of thearms 20 and 21 a diagonal shoulder 25 is formed, the shoulders of thesaid arms being adapted to contact with the beveled side surfaces 1) andZ) of the top and bottom plates and limit beveled at its forward end, asillustrated atthe inward movement of each arm, the outward movement ofthe arms being limited by the extremity of the hook-section of said armsengaging with the convex end surface of 5 the plates at the shoulders 6As the plates are secured to the body-section by means of rivets, and asthe rivets are also utilized as pivotal pins for the arms, the upper andlower faces of the completed link 10 are perfectly smooth. The top andbottom surfaces of the heads of the arms and 21 are also smooth andpreferably made of sufficient thickness to extend upward and down- 20posed reduced inner extremities of the arms. 1

I desire it, however, to be distinctly understood that I do not confinemyself to the exact form of spring illustrated.

The plates 16 and 17 are made of the same shape at their ends as the endof the bodyblock 11, and each plate is provided with an opening 27,registering with the opening 15 in said block.

It will be observed by reference to Fig. 1

0 that when the arms 20 and 21 are in their locked position they,together with the recessed .or slotted ends of the plates 16 and 17,form an 'inclosed elongated opening, which opening is adapted for thereception of the pin of the opposed draw-head.

In operation the link is passed into any form of draw-head and a pinpassed through the said draw-head through the rear'pin-openings 15 and27 of the link. \Vhen a car con- 40 taining the link is to be coupledwith another car, the car with which the coupling is to be effected isprovided with a coupling-pin placed in the usual manner within itsdrawhead. The pin having been placed in position, one car is made toapproach the other,

and in so doing the link enters the draw-head containing the pin,striking the said pin upon the cylindrical end surfaces of the heads ofthe arms 20 and 21, whereupon the said arms are forced outward inopposite directions, as shown in Fig. 3, and a passage is therebycreated, through which the pin enters the slots 19 of the plates 16 and17 and contacts with the concave surface 13 of the body-block 12. Assoon as the pin enters the slots 19 of the link the arms areautomatically carried to the closed position by the springs 26, and thetwo draw-heads are effectually connected. To uncouple, the arms 20 and21 are forced outward, either by hand or in any other approved manner.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. As an improved article of manufacture, a linkconsisting of a casing slotted at its forward end and provided with apin open ing at its rear end, and arms pivoted in said casing, providedwith heads adapted to interlock in front of the forward casing-slot,substantially as shown and described.

2. As an improved article of manufacture,

a coupling-link consisting of a casing provided with a slot in itsforward end and a pin opening in its rear end, and two springpressedarms pivoted in said casing, the said arms being provided with hook-likeheads adapted to interlock in front of the forward slot of the casing,substantially as and for the purpose specified. 8o

3. In a coupling-link, the combination, with a body comprising ashank-section and blocks at each end of the same, the rear block beingprovided with a vertical bore and the forward block with a concave endsurface, and plates secured to the body-section, provided with openingsregistering with the bore of the rear bodyblock, and a slot in theforward end registering with the concavity of the forward body block, ofspring-actuated arms 00 pivoted between the plates, one at each side ofthe body-rib, the said arms being provided. with opposed hook-like headsrecessed to in terlock in front of the slotted forward portion of theplates, substantially as shown and 5 described. 7

HARRY ACKERMAN. Witnesses:

J. F. AOKER, J12,

1. Snnewrok.

